Coal mine fire cotninues to burn

AAP General News (Australia)
12-31-2005
Coal mine fire cotninues to burn

Firefighters say they're having difficulty getting to a blaze at a coal mine in Victoria's
Latrobe Valley.

About 90 firefighters have worked through the night .. but have failed to put out the
fire at the Morwell open cut brown coal mine .. 130 kilometres south-east of Melbourne.

They say the fire .. which began late yesterday .. continues to burn on a coalface
about 200 metres long and 100 metres deep.

Smoke has blanketed the Latrobe Valley .. but firefighters say there's no threat to
Victoria's power supply.





Meanwhile .. fire crews have contained fires at Avenel .. north-east of Melbourne ..

and at Stradbroke .. near Sale.

They're on on high alert across the state.

A total fire ban remains in force in all areas of Victoria but the eastern region ..

covering Gippsland .. until 4 am tomorrow.

Strong winds and searing temperatures are forecast in most areas across the state.

AAP RTV jmw/goc/

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC (MELBOURNE)

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